Johann heinrich frischen



(No Model.)

J. H. FRISCHEN SWITCH AND SIGNAL SETTING AND LOCKING APPARATUS.

No 497,716. Patented MaylG, 1893.

ze la 17 16 20 n 1N VENT OR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OHANN HEINRICH FRISCHEN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIEMENS &HALSKE, OF SAME PLACE.

SWITCH AND SIGNAL SETTING AND LOCKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 497,716, dated May 16,1893.

Application filed March 13,1898. Serial No. 465,749- (110 model.)Patented in Germany May 12, 1880, No. 13,017; in Austria- Hungary .Tnly15l 1880, No, 24,411 and No. 30,505; in Belgium August 13, 1880, No.52,301, and in France August 18,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHANN HEINRICH FRISOHEN, a subject of the Emperorof Germany, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Switch and Signal Setting and Looking Apparatus, (forwhich I have obtained the following Letters Patent: in France, No.138,321, dated August 18, 1880; in Germany, No. 13,017,

dated May 12, 1880; in Austria-Hungary, No. 24,411 and No. 30,505, datedJuly 15, 1880, and in Belgium, No. 52,301, dated August 13, 1880,) ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to promote :5 the safety of travel bygiving an improved control of the switch and signal devices of railwaytracks.

The invention consists in the use of one or more movable locking barsrelatively to adjustable stop rods which engage the switch and signalactuating mechanisms, and with intermediate operating mechanism, wherebya proper adjustment of a switch is necessary before the correspondingcorrect signal can be given.

The invention also includes the interposition of an electric blocksystem stop or blocking rod in the switch and signal operating devicesto prevent certain adjustments of said go devices until the blocking rodindicates a clear track ahead.

The invention will first be described and then will be particularlydefined in claims hereinafter set forth.

5 Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification; and in which the same numerals indicate like partsin the several views.

Figure 1, is a detail front sectional view of one pair of switch andsignal levers at a central station with their corresponding stop rod andbar devices, and Fig. 2, is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3, is a detailfront View illus trating the interposition of the electric block 5signal locking rod, and Fig. 4, isa partial plan View thereof. Fig. 5,is a detail front view illustrating a stop device interposed directlybetween one of the signal lever shafts and the adjacent sliding bar, andFig. 6, is a plan view thereof.

It will be understood that the drawings illustrate but one pair ofswitch and signal operating levers and t-heirstop devices located at acentral station or lookout tower, which may have any required number ofsuch levers and devices to accommodate the number of railway tracks andtheir switches at the approaches to a railway station or depot or otherplace.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the nu- 6o meral 1 indicates the signallever, and 2, the switch lever, both of which are shown with cylindricalheads which have flat peripheral or face portions 3, on the lever 1, and4 and 5, on the lever 2. A radial recess 6, at the face 3 of the signallever l, is adapted to re ceive a stop rod 7, sustained in suitablebearings 8, 8, which also guide other stop rods 9, 10, which are adaptedrespectively to enter recesses 11, 12 formed in the faces 4, 5, of the7:) switch lever 2. Each of these rods 7, 9, 10, has a shoulder againstwhich a spring 13 expands to normally raise the rod. The levers 1, and2, are supported in suitable bearings by shafts or axles located at thecenter of theirheads and have radial handles by which they may beoperated. Above the lever stop rods, are j ournaled a series oftransverse shafts 14, 15, 16, which respectively carry tappets 17, 18,19, adapted to lower the stop rods into the recesses of the levers.Preferably above the shafts lat, 15, 16, are arranged to slide endwisein any snip able hearings or guides, a pair of bars 20 and 21. The bar20 carries two pins 22, 23,adapted for engagement by pins or fingers 24,25 8'; on the shafts 14, 15, respectively, and the bar 21, carries alike fixed pin 26, engaged by a pin or finger 27 on the third shaft 16.The shaft 14 has a handle 28, by which it may be turned axially, and thebar 21 has a handle 29, by which it may be moved lengthwiseindependently of the other sliding bar 20. The pin 22 on bar 20 lies infront of the finger 24 on shaft 14., and the pin 23 on bar 20 liesbehind or relatively at the opposite side of the 5 finger 25 on theshaft 15, and the pin 26 on the bar 21 lies in front of the finger 27 onthe shaft 16.

The operation is as follows: When the signal lever 1 is adjusted withits recess 6, op- :00

posite the stop rod 7, the spring 13 on the rod 9, and which has greatertension or force than the spring on the rod 7, will, bylifting the rod 9against the tappet 18 of the shaft 15, turn said shaft, and therebycause its finger 25 to act on pin 23 of bar 20 to slide the lattertoward the right hand, whereby the pin 22 on the bar 20 will, by actionon the finger 24, of shaft 14, cause the tappet 17 to depress the rod 7into the recess 6, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, this being thenormal adjustment of the lever 1, which then holds its connected signalat stop or danger, indicating that the switch controlled by the-lever 2is open to a side track. Should the switch be afterward closed oradjusted to leave the main line clear, the recess 11 of the switch lever2 will then be opposite the rod 9, and then, and only at this time, thehandle 28 can be moved over toward the left hand to lift the rod 7 fromthe recess (30f the lever 1,to allow the latter to be turned partly, sayhalf way, around to set the signal to all clear and allowing trains onthe main line rails to proceed safely past the switch. As the handle 28is thus swung toward the left hand, the finger 24: on the shaft 14 willact on pin22 of bar 20 to move the latter to the left hand, and therebycause the pin 23 of bar 20 to push over the finger 25 of shaft 15 androck the latter and its tappet 18, and thereby carry the rod 9 into theopposing recess 11 of the switch lever 2 to lock the latter againstmovement and prevent opening of the switch. After the half turn of lever1 to set the all clear signal, and in fact after any turning movement ofsaid lever which will carry its one and only recess 6, out of line withthe raised rod 7, the latter will simply ride on the periphery 3 of thelever, and then will prevent return or right hand movement of the handle28 and the rod 9 cannot then be raised from the one and only recess 11in the face or rim 4 of the switch lever 2, as the relative arrangementof the parts 18, 15, 25, 23, 20, 22, 24:, 14 and 17, will prevent suchmovement. It will be understood that immediately after the lever 2 isturned to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and in'so doinghas closed the switch, the handle 28 is moved to the left hand to lockrod 9 into lever recess 11, and that after or during this movement ofthe handle, which has raised the tappet 17 of the shaft 1 1, the rod 7is left free and is lifted by its spring 13 from the recess6 of lever 1,to allow the latter to be operated for setting the all clear signal forthe main line. .111 the all clear signal is thus set and the rod 9 isnecessarily at this time locked in the recess 11 of lever 2,to preventopening of the switch by said lever,theone and only recess 12 in the rimor face 5 of said lever will be out of line with the rod 10, which bybearing on the lever face 5 will prevent movement of the tappet 19,shaft 16, finger 27, pin 26, and consequently the bar 21 cannot be movedto the left hand; but when the lever 2 is turned half-way around fromthe position shown in Fig.1 of the drawings, to open the switch afterthe lever 1 has been turned to display the danger signal or semaphore,the recess 12 of lever 2 will be opposite the rod 10, whereupon the bar21 may be moved to the left hand and independently of the other bar 20and its connections, to cause the pin 26 to turn the finger 27, shaft16,and tappet 19,and thereby force the rod 10 into the recess 12 of thelever 2. This bar 21 is to be connected in any suitable manner,such asby wires or chains, to a preliminary or other special and distantsignal, to give timely noticeinadvance,that the switch is open. The rod10 must, of course, be lifted by the spring 13 from the recess 12 of thelever 2 after the bar-21 has been given a reverse movementto the righthand,bef0re the danger signal can be changed to all clear, by operatingthe lever 1 after the lever2 has been actuated to close the switch, andthereby bring its recess 11 opposite the rod 9, to allow unlocking ofthe rod 7 from the recess 6 of lever 1.

It is manifest that with the dependent. lever and locking rods 7, 9, anintermediate tappet, finger, pin and sliding bar connections abovedescribed, the switch cannot be opened to break continuity of the mainline rails Without first setting the signal by lever 1 to danger, andthat the all clear or safety signal will necessarily be displayed onlywhen the switch is closed and the main line rails are continuous. It isalso evident that by means of the independent sliding bar 2l,locking rod10,.and intermediate tappet, finger and pin mechanism, a distantpreliminary or special danger signal may be displayed when the switch isopen, and will be hidden when the switch is closed.

Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, in addition to the rods 7, 9, 10, theshafts 1 1, 15, 16, and the sliding bars 20, 21, show an arm 30 fixed tothe shaft 14, carrying the handle 28, and so located relatively to avertically movable rod 31, which I term the blocking rod of an electricblock system apparatus, that when the rod 31 is lowered in front of thearm 30, the lever 28 on the shaft 14 cannot be moved to the left hand,and consequently the signal levers 1, 2 cannot be adjusted to allow theall clear signal to be displayed by operation of lever 1, until afterthe block of track in advance of the switch is cleared of all trains,and this condition of the track is attested by the lifting of the rod 31above the arm 30. It will also be seen that the block ing rod 31 cannotbe lowered in front of the arm 30, to block the track section untilafter the lever 28 has been turned to the right hand to enter the rod 7into the recess 6 of the signal lever 1, and thereby hold the signalactuated by said lever at danger. It is not necessary to fullyillustrate an electric blocking apparatus in order to have the operationof the blocking .rod 31 fully understood by those skilled in the art, asthe operation of vertically or endwise movable looking or setting rodsin apparatus of this character is well known, but in the presentinvention I have combined such ablocking rod with dependent switch andsignal locking devices in a novel manner, making the proper setting ofthe switch, the display of the proper signal therefor, and the safetyblocking of the track all mutually dependent upon each other.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, I show a modification, whereby themovement of one shaft or part of the switch and si nal looking, devicesmay be made dependent upon the movement of another part thereof. We willsuppose that the vertical rods shown are those 7 and 9 of the firstdescribed devices, and that they are adapted for depression by tappets32, 33 on shafts 34, 35, having fingers 36, 37, respectively, which acton pins 38, 39 in two sliding bars 40, 41, which are in front of a thirdbar 42, shown merely to illustrate how these bars may be arranged inseries one behind the other. The shafts 34, 35 have their own separatehandle levers 43, 44, to turn them in one direction, for depressing therods 7, 9 by the tappets 32, 33, while by turning the handles in theother direction the bars 40, 41 will be moved endwise by the fingers 36,37, pressing the pins 38, 39, respectively. On the shaft 34, is fixed astop plate 45 having a rounded outer edge, and the sliding bar 41carries a stop lug 46, shown dotted in Fig. 5. It is obvious, that ifthe handle 43 be thrown over to the left hand, the pin 36 of shaft 34will press pin 38 and move the bar 40 to the left, and the stop plate onthe shaft 34 will also move upward, so that its convex face which thenpasses in front of the lug 46, will prevent endwise movement of the bar41, which carries said lug, until the lever 43 is restored to itsoriginal position shown in the drawings; and, on the other hand, if thehandle 44 be first moved to the left hand, it will, by the pins 37, 39,carry the bar 41 to the left, and the lug 46 on this bar will thenoverlie the plate 45 and will prevent movement of the shaft 34by itshandle 43, until handle 44 and bar 41 are restored to originalpositions.

In practice,'there will be as many duplications of the above describedswitch and signal operating and locking devices as the number ofswitches and necessary signals therefor may require. In some instances,I operate several sliding bars, like the one 20, from one handle leverlocated on one of the transverse shafts of the apparatus. The bodilyturning levers 1, 2, having recesses 6, 11, 12, adapted to receive stopor looking rods 7, 9, l0, respectively, may be substituted by any otherdevices having recesses receiving the rods or stops looking with therods and operative to adjust the switch and signal devices,substantially in the manner herein described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In railway switch and signal setting and locking apparatus, thecombination, with levers or devices actuating a switch and a signaltherefor, of rods adapted to stop or latch said devices, shaftsactuating the stop rods and one or more bars movable by or from theshafts, substantially as described, whereby display of the signal ismutually dependent upon proper adjustment of the switch, as herein setforth.

2. In railway switch and signal setting and locking apparatus, thecombination, with levers or devices actuatinga switch and a signaltherefor, of spring actuated rods adapted to stop or latch said devices,shafts engaging said stop rods and provided with fingers, and one ormore bars having pins nextthe shaft fingers, substantially as described,whereby the spring actuated rods may be locked with the switch andsignal mechanism only when or as proper signals are shown, as herein setforth.

3. In railway switch and signal setting and locking apparatus, thecombination, with levers or devices actuating a switch and a signaltherefor, of spring actuated rods adapted to stop or latch said devices,the spring moving the stop rod of the switch lever or device being thestronger, and the signal operating lever or device being normally lockedby its stop rod when the danger signal is shown; shafts engaging thestop rods and provided with fingers, and one or more bars having pinsnext the shaft fingers, substantially as described for the purposes setforth.

4. In railway switch and signal setting and locking apparatus, thecombination, with a switch and a signal operating device, of three stopor looking rods, one adapted to the signal operating device, and theother two adapted to the switch operating device; two mutually dependentstop rods engaging the switch and signal operating devices, and a thirdstop rod also engaging the switch operating device; three shafts adaptedto actuate the respective stop rods, a movable bar having two pinsengaged by fingers on the actuating shafts of the two first named stoprods, and a second independently movable bar having a pin engaged by afinger on the actuating shaft of the third stop rod, substantially asdescribed, whereby the setting of the ordinary switch signal is mutuallydependent on the correct setting of the switch, and whereby also theindependent bar may be operated to set a second special signal when theswitch is open, as herein set forth.

5. In railway switch and signal setting and locking apparatus, thecombination, with switch and signal setting and locking mech' anismcomprising setting levers or devices for the switch and signal, stop orlatch rods engaging said devices, shafts actuating said rods, and one ormore bars movable by or from the shafts to assure mutually correctadjustment of the switch and signal, of an interposed electric blocksystem blocking rod,

IIO

and a finger or stop on one of the shafts adapted thereto, substantiallyas described, whereby the blocking rod may prevent and permit operationof the'switch and signal devices, as herein set forth.

6. The combination with the signal and switch levers l, 2, havingrecesses 6, 11, respectively, of stop rods 7, 9, shafts 14, 15, havingtappets 17, 18, and also provided with fingers 24, 25; and a bar 20,having pins 22, 23, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the signal and switch levers 1, 2, havingrecesses 6, 11, of stop rods 7, 9, having springs 13 of unequal tension;shafts 14, 15, having tappets 17, 18 and also provided with fingers 24,25; and a bar 20 having pins 22, 23, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the signal and switch levers 1, 2, havingrecesses 6, 11, 12, of stop rods 7, 9, 10, shafts 14, 15, 16 actuatingthe stop rods and having fingers 24, 25, 26; a bar 20 having pins 22,23, and a bar 2l having a pin 26, substantially as described, for thepurposes set forth.

9. The combination with the signal and switch operating levers havingrecesses 6,11, stop rods 7, 9, shafts 14, 15 having fingers 24,

25, a bar having pins 22, 23; an arm on one of the shafts, and anelectric block system blocking rod 31 interposed next said arm,substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

10. The combination with the signal and switch operating levers l, 2,having recesses 6, 11, 12, of stop rods 7, 9, 10, shafts 14, 15, 16having fingers 24, 25, 26, a bar 20 having pins 22, 23, a bar 21 havingpin 26, an arm 30 on the shaft 14, and an electric block system blockingrod 31 interposed next said arm, substantially as described, for thepurposes set forth.

11. The combination with the stop rods 7,

9, and shafts 34, 35 having fingers 36, 37, of a bar having a pin 38,and a bar 41 having a pin 39, said shaft 34 and bar 41 havingrespectively the stops 45, 46, substantially as described, for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my sign atnre in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOI-IANN HEINRICH FRISOHEN.

Witnesses:

MAX WAGNER, FRANZ SCHMIDT.

